During the Great Depression, young radicals centered in New York
City developed a vision of and for America, molded by their
understanding of recent historical events, in particular the Great
War and the global economic collapse, as well as by the events
unfolding both at home and abroad. They worked to make their vision
of a free, equal, democratic society based on peaceful coexistence
a reality. Their attempts were ultimately unsuccessful but their
voices were heard on a number of important issues, including free
speech, racial justice, and peace. A major contribution to the
historiography of the era of the Great Depression, Fighting
Authoritarianism provides a new and important examination of U.S.
youth activism of the 1930s, including the limits of the New Deal
and how youth activists continually pushed FDR, Eleanor Roosevelt,
and other New Dealers to do more to address economic distress, more
inclusionary politics, and social inequality. In this study, author
Britt Haas questions the interventionist versus isolationist
paradigm in that young people sought to focus on both domestic and
international affairs. Haas also explores the era not as a
precursor to WWII, but as a moment of hope when the prospect of
institutionalizing progress in freedom, equality, and democracy
seemed possible. Fighting Authoritarianism corrects misconceptions
about these young activists' vision for their country, heavily
influenced by the American Dream they had been brought up to
revere: they wanted a truly free, truly democratic, and truly equal
society. That meant embracing radical ideologies, especially
socialism and communism, which were widely discussed, debated, and
promoted on New York City college campuses. They believed that in
embracing these ideologies, they were not turning their backs on
American values. Instead, they believed that such ideologies were
the only way to make America live up to its promises. This study
also outlines the careers of Molly Yard, Joseph Lash, and James
Wechsler, how they retracted (and for Yard and Lash, reclaimed)
their radical past, and how New York continued to hold a prominent
platform in their careers. Lash and Wechsler both worked for the
New York Post, the latter as editor until 1980. Examining the
Depression decade from the perspective of young activists
highlights the promise of America as young people understood it: a
historic moment when anything seemed possible.
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